Musical-instrument mouthpiece



March 19, 1929.v BAlLEY 1,705,601

MUS ICAL INSTRUMENT MOUTHPIECE Filed April 19, 1926 EEK] "MENTOR NelsonB. Bailey L RTTORNEN Patented Mar. 19, 1929.

1 UNITED STATES NELSON B. BAILEY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.,

MUSICAL-INSTRUMENT MOUTHPIECE.

Application filed April 19,1926. Serial No. 102,885.

My invention relates to musical instruments, and particularly tomouthpieces for vibrating for reed instruments.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a novel mouthpiecewhich will obviate the hard, recdy tone common to vibrating reedinstruments, and will permit a very clear and sweet tone on theinstrument with which it is used.

Another object of the the invention is the provision of a mouthpiecethat may be made to mute the tone of the instrument with which it isused so that a student may practice without disturbing others aroundhim.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage some ofwhich, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the followingdescription of the preferred form of my invention which is illustratedin the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. Itis to be understood that I do not limit myself to the showing made bythe said drawings I and description, as I may adopt variations of thepreferred form with in the scope of my invention as set forth in theclaims.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a sideelevation of a musical instrument mouthpiece embodyingmy invention.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view, the plane of section being taken onthe line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 8, a detail, is a or cushion.

Broadly my invention comprises a mouthpiece of the vibrating reed typesuch as is used on a saxophone or clarinet. To eliminate undesirablevibrations a cushioning pad is provided between the reed and the bed ofthe mouthpiece, and is preferably permanent ly secured to the bed.

I have discovered that by interposing such a pad or cushion between thereed and the bed, not only is the instrument easier to blow, but thetone of the instrument is greatly improved in so far as it is clearerand sweeter than that heretofore attained, except by the exercise ofgreat skill.

The exact theory underlying these improvements is not clearlyunderstood, but it is probable that the improved tone is due to planview of the pad a dampening effect of the pad upon vibra- Furthermore agreater range of adjustment of the reed, relative to the bed is obtainedwhen an elastic or yieldable pad is interposed therebetween, whichpermits exact adjustment for tone quality.

Referring to the drawings:

InFigure 1, I have shown a n'iouthpiece particularly adapted for usewith a saxophone. The mouthpiece comprises a head 2, provided with atapering end 3, for engagement with the lips of the player, and at theother end with a neck 4 whereby the mouthpiece is mounted on the body 6of the saxophone (only the end of which is shown). The bed 7 of themouthpiece is provided with a dovetail groove which extends around theopening in the upper face of the tapered end, and in which is engaged acorresponding dovetail head 8 formed on the underside of a pad orcushion strip 9, preferably of soft rubber or other yieldable shockabsorbing substance. Since the pad is soft and readily deformable it maybe forcibly crowded into the groove, and once seated it remains securelyin position.

The tone and volume of the instrument can be controlled by the size anddensity of the cushioning pad. For example, a thin hard layer of rubberwill produce a superior tone quality without materially lessening thevolume, and for orchestra or concert playing this type of mouthpiecewill be found desirable. On the other hand, if it is desirable to mutethe volume of an instrument, a thick soft cushion may be used and thisproduces a very soft and mellow tone. This latter form is particularlyadapted for use by students who have to practice in a hotel or anapartment house, for the volume and tone can be so muted and mellowedthat it can hardly be heard in an adjoining room.

A reed 11 of usual construction, is mounted on the bed 7 over thecushion 9, and is ad justably held in place thereon by means of theusual clamp ring 12 which is secured by the two thumb screws 13. Becauseof the yieldability or elasticity of the cushion 9, on which the reedrests, relative movement of the thumb screws permits the reed to berocked sufficiently to make minute adjustment thereof rela tive to thebed, so that a tone becomes easily attainable by a beginner, whichheretofore only much practice could give.

I have shown the cushion dovetailed to the mouthpiece, but it is to beunderstood that it may be vulcanized or cemented to the mouthpiece, orsecured in any other suitable Way.

I claim:

1. A Wind instrument mouthpiece comprising a bed, a reed for said bed,and an elastic pad interposed between. the e u'iire reed and sai d bed.

2. A Wind instrument mouthpiece comprising a bed, a reed for said bed,an elastic pad interposed between the entire reed and said bed toprevent vibrations of the reed being transmitked to the instrument, andmeans for cimnping aid reed to said bed.

3. A Wind instrument mouthpiece comprising a bed, a reed for said bed,an elastic pad interposed between said reed and said bed,

and a plurality of clamping means spaced apart for independentlyclamping said reed to said bed.

i. A reed instrument mouthpiece coinpris- 20 ing a bed having a groove,an eiasric pad mounted on said bed and provided r'iizb. a bead engaging;said groove, 2: reed (ragga; said elastic pad, and means for adjusi'abcuring said reed to said pad.

5. A reed instrument mouthpiece c icnprising' a bed, a reed for saidbed, and a soi'ii rubber cushion dovetailed to said bed and interposedbetween said bed and said reed.

In tesiiimony whereof" I have hereunto my band.

r se

NELSON P. BAILEY.

